{"id":6569,"date":"2017-09-07T09:10:02","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T17:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/?p=6569"},"modified":"2017-09-24T09:12:58","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T17:12:58","slug":"are-fbi-raids-part-of-plan-to-intimidate-animal-rights-activists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2017\/09\/07\/are-fbi-raids-part-of-plan-to-intimidate-animal-rights-activists\/","title":{"rendered":"Are FBI Raids Part Of Plan To ‘Intimidate’ Animal Rights Activists?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"One AR organization believes the agency is targeting vegan activism<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Maria Chiorando<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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An animal rights group has accused the FBI of ‘intimidating vegan\u00a0activists’.<\/p>\n

According to global animal rights network\u00a0Direct Action Everywhere<\/a>\u00a0[DxE], FBI agents in bulletproof vests descended on two shelters for abandoned farm animals last week – Ching Farm Rescue in Herriman, Utah and Luvin Arms in Erie, Colorado.<\/p>\n

The group claims the agents had search warrants, and demanded\u00a0DNA samples for two dying piglets activists had recently taken\u00a0from a Smithfield farm in Utah<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DXE says the FBI\u2019s raids are ‘intended to intimidate activists who are engaged in rescue and whistleblowing efforts’.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>
An image from DXE’s Smithfield investigation (Photo: DXE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not a crime<\/h3>\n

DxE co-founder and former Northwestern law professor Wayne Hsiung said: “Piglets were rotting to death in piles of their own mother\u2019s feces at Smithfield.<\/p>\n

“Rescuing them was an act of compassion, not a crime. But Smithfield doesn\u2019t want the public to see the horrifying truth of how they produce their pork.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

DxE activists believe the actions by the FBI are ‘an indication of the close ties between large agricultural corporations and the government that led to the passage of\u00a0unconstitutional ‘ag gag’ laws<\/a>\u00a0across the nation’.<\/p>\n

These laws criminalize taking photographs at factory farms.<\/p>\n

A DXE spokesperson said: “Smithfield, with major operations in ag-gag states such as Utah and North Carolina, was a major beneficiary of those laws.<\/p>\n

“With growing concern over abuse and consumer fraud in the meat industry, the activists say that producers are using illegitimate means to repress nonviolent activism.”<\/p>\n

‘Caper’<\/h3>\n

“We have people drowning in Houston, some of the worst wildfires in our nation\u2019s history, a president tweeting about nuclear war, and federal prosecutors are concerned about a piglet caper,” University of Denver constitutional law scholar Justin Marceau, one of the lead counsels in the\u00a0recent constitutional challenge to the Utah ag-gag law<\/a>, added.<\/p>\n

“This isn\u2019t about piglets rescued from a dead pile. This is about a systematic crackdown on direct action of the sort celebrated by civil rights leaders.<\/p>\n

“It is disgusting, and I look forward to hearing about the prosecution\u2019s decision to prioritize a case against persons accused of rescuing pigs.”<\/p>\n

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<\/div>
The investigation uncovered grim circumstances (Photo: DXE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Target<\/h3>\n

A DXE spokesperson said: “The FBI\u2019s targeting of animal sanctuaries, who had no involvement in or knowledge of the Smithfield investigation, is a dramatic example of overreaching by the federal government.<\/p>\n

“Federal agents even followed shelter volunteers back to their homes, dramatically confronting them in front of their families and neighbors.”<\/p>\n

Hsiung added: “We are quite open about the fact that we are documenting abuses and rescuing injured animals.<\/p>\n

“The government doesn\u2019t need to waste resources chasing piglets around the country, scaring senior citizens and families, when they can find all the details about our rescues on YouTube.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One AR organization believes the agency is targeting vegan activism Maria Chiorando An animal rights group has accused the FBI of ‘intimidating vegan\u00a0activists’. According to global animal rights network\u00a0Direct Action Everywhere\u00a0[DxE], FBI agents in bulletproof vests descended on two shelters for abandoned farm animals last week – Ching Farm Rescue in Herriman, Utah and Luvin … <\/p>\n

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